Forest officials contacted Burton on Wednesday requesting to speak to Clough, but permission has not yet been given.

Clough spent Thursday away from the club with family, and is understood to be in a dilemma.

The Burton manager also spent almost a decade playing for Forest under his dad (Image: Getty)

He was asked about the vacancy this week and refused to rule out a return, saying: “I don’t think you can ever predict what’s going to happen in football. In football, people go to rivals all the time.

“It’s very difficult when you spent 18 years - I’m just over 50 years old - so a third of my life involved with a certain club.”

Despite Forest’s obvious lure, Clough also remains indebted to Burton chairman Ben Robinson, who has appointed him twice. He is in his second spell at the club, after taking over from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 13 months ago and guiding the club up to the Championship for the first time.

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The Brewers sit 22nd, in the drop zone on goal difference and five points behind 19th-placed Forest.